Gift Presentation Idea: Bouquet

This is a lovely idea for gift presentation.  A sweet, handpicked bouquet. Look a little closer and see the extra touches.

A miniature chalkboard is suspended from flower stems.  This particular chalkboard is from Cost Plus World Market.  They have similar boards with metal frames here, and heart shaped chalkboards here.

Peek into the glass vase and another item can be seen.

A clear glass bottle is floating in the water.  This is holding a printed gift card and note tied with ribbon.  The glass is a repurposed spice container.

Such a cute idea! Something the recipient can enjoy for days after receiving, rather than gathering up the gift wrap for the recycle bin.

Handpicked for May

Looking back through the month of May.  This is a personal log of a few favorite experiences.

Material to work with:
Sterling silver sheet in 22-gauge from Rio Grande. (It is a sustainable material.) This silver is a good thickness; strong yet not difficult to work with.

Home cooked meal:
Simple grilled sweet potato and black bean burrito bowls with spicy cumin garlic drizzle from Laura Wright of The First Mess. Packed with flavor, this vegetarian dish was a hit with my family.  The spicy cumin garlic drizzle is especially tasty.  I will be using it to season additional recipes.

Local musician:
Chad Mills. Got a late dinner one evening and the pub had live music.  One guy with with his guitar. Enjoyed it so much that I called the restaurant the following day to find out who he was.

Greeting cards to send:
With a sentiment for any occasion, Little Low Studio is a great online spot for greeting cards. (She has an Etsy shop too.) The Mother's Day cards I purchased were beautiful.

Podcast:
The Unmistakable Creative. These episodes are candid conversations with fascinating, creative individuals.  Thought provoking and highly recommended. I'm hooked.

Wearing:
I bought this top from Thimble and Acorn.  The organic cotton is so soft, and the colors are gorgeous.  I love the cap sleeves.  Eve, the owner and maker, is fabulous to work with.

Watching:
Now that Parks and Recreation has ended, I do not watch many comedies.  It takes smart writing to make me laugh. Silicon Valley is brilliant.  Never thought of myself as a Mike Judge fan, but loved season one, and this season is also quite good.

Fresh flowers:
We experienced many gray days this past Winter in Indiana.  I am thoroughly enjoying the sight of fresh flowers in my kitchen this Spring. Handpicked arrangements are especially cheery.

What have you enjoyed during the month of May?

Secret Message Jewelry, Part 2

The intent of this necklace is very simple. I wanted a design to honor special dates without being traditional. The result is small and clean; something that can be worn everyday. Numbers displayed are significant to the wearer while being curious to the casual observer. 

This piece could memorialize adoptions, births, graduations, anniversaries, pet adoptions, or any significant life event. Several different dates may be honored on one chain.

The numbers across the top represent the month. Left to right of the middle row commemorates the day within the month. Bottom numbers side to side are the final two digits of the year being honored. 

Once described as "a mom necklace that doesn't look like a mom necklace!"

 In an earlier post, I featured rings with hidden messages.  This particular necklace may not appear to have a secret message.  However, with limitless possibilities for customization, I have had the opportunity to create a couple that were quite inventive.

This custom request was for 19, 16, 03. The numbers coordinate to letters of the alphabet.

This was for a customer wanting a design that held everything special in one pendant.  The days of the month for each of her children's births are commemorated on a single piece of silver.

My husband and I joked that had I been creating this style of necklace ten years ago, there may have been some interesting requests from fans of  Lost (TV Series).

Secret Message Jewelry, Part1

Let me share the details behind the making of my new, secret message ring.  It begins with three, fully interlocking rings.  Two of these bands represent people; partners in a relationship.  A third band is hand marked in morse code.  Its characters spell  L-O-V-E.  This third ring, intertwining with the other two, symbolizes a couple forever joined by love. 

Next, I created a sterling silver ring.  The band is tall enough to accommodate the word "ALWAYS" written inside. 

Formed and soldered. Ready for clean up.

The rings were filed, sanded, polished, and then oxidized.  I perform this step with all my jewelry to add character and enhance details - especially with letters and code on this particular piece. Notice how distinct the markings are with a patina.

The interlocking rings are designed to fit onto the silver band and rotate.  A brief video of their movement may be viewed on my Instagram page.  I overlapped the two styles and shaped the edges of the wide band ring in an anticlastic form.  Doing this permanently holds the interlocking rings onto the band.

Secret message rings are available in my Etsy shop.  Shown here is a thin, minimal style with the three interlocking rings only.  Morse code spells out "love" on the eternally joined bands.

 The wide band ring is also offered in my shop.  Made to order in US ring sizes.  An original design from Indyspire Art LLC.

Cat Memorial Jewelry

I love cats.  I love incorporating cats into my jewelry designs.  I also love when jewelry holds special significance for the wearer. Then, it becomes a keepsake.

In loving memory of Gandalf, the wonderful grey kitty.

A few short years back, my beloved cat passed away.  I created a necklace to honor his memory and wrote about it here on my blog.  A portion of the sale from each cat memorial necklace is donated to From the Heart Rescue.

I make cat rings in the same style as the necklace.  A customer requested the name of her sweet kitty to be inscribed inside the band, and the idea for a cat memorial ring came about.

The first cat memorial ring was in honor of Moka.

Each ring honors the memory of a dear companion while also providing funds to From the Heart Rescue. This donation is used to lower the adoption fee of a rescued cat awaiting its forever home.

The most recent ring was to commemorate Ruby. I am grateful to Ruby's owner for sharing her photo.  Isn't she beautiful?

Cat memorial rings are available for customizing / personalizing in my Etsy shop.  Each ring is made with love in hopes of helping others to heal after their loss.

Personalized Jewelry. Custom Designed Compass Rose.

Jewelry is an intimate way to adorn the body. It often holds special significance to the wearer, be it as a symbolic display or an extension of personal character.  

I have had the opportunity to work with a number of customers on special pieces of jewelry.  

One client found my Compass Cuff Bracelet and wished to personalize the design.

Original Compass Rose Cuff

We talked over ideas and this is the custom bracelet I created for him:

Custom Design

This bracelet is a symbol of living life by following your internal compass in how you do things each day.  Abide by this compass and remain true to your True North.  

My client's own True North is his 11 year old daughter.  He strives to set good examples and serve as a positive role model for her.

Artisan Fair Applications

Some important things to do when applying to Craft Fairs:

Read the Vendor FAQ before filling out the application.  

Make note of the event date and time.

Determine your booth fee.  Will there be additional charges for electricity, wifi, table and chair rental? Must you provide your own canopy, table, equipment? Is this within your budget?

Apply early.  The number of booths at a craft show are limited.  In addition, rushing to make the deadline does not allow you to be thorough.

Follow the instructions precisely.  Submitting an incomplete or incorrect application to a juried event with hundreds of candidates will be declined.

Submit stellar photos.  Images speak louder than words.  Make a great impression.  No blurry or poorly lit pictures.  Adhere to the size specifications.  
Craft an interesting bio of your business.  This is generally a difficult area for me, and I have a few tips that helped me through.

• Give yourself plenty of time to write the synopsis.  (At least three days.)
• Begin by making notes of the most important points to touch upon.
• Read summaries from other small businesses.  Seek out individuals whom you admire.  Look through magazines, brochures, online marketplaces.  How do they tell their story? Do not copy, only explore for insight.
• Avoid obvious likeness.  I found small businesses in the same medium and actively abstained from similar wording, so as to focus on the individuality of my work. 
• Refer to this article about how to write your bio.
• Draft your summary, stating the main points.  Save it and take a break.
• Return to your bio the next day with a fresh mind and evaluate. Now you may edit. Save your work.
• Allow yourself an additional day or more to think it over.  Did you get to the essence?  Does the application have a limit to the number of words or sentences that you may submit? Is your writing succinct?
• Must you write a separate description in regards to the process by which your work is made?
• Save your final draft.  You will amend and develop this when applying to your next show.

Website.  Most applications request a link.  Do you have an online shop or a means for the jury to evaluate your work collectively?

Submit the application on time.

Pay the application fee if required.

Verify that you have a Sales Tax Collection Permit.  If not, take the necessary steps to obtain this authorization.

Congratulate yourself for completing the application.  This is not easy, but you did it!

Keep your chin up.  If you are accepted, fantastic! If you complied to application guidelines, yet were declined, it is alright.  The application itself was a giant learning process.  You will improve in every attempt.  Keep trying!